Prepare a Sustainability Report to Shareholders – Yum! Brands Corporation
Whereas the global economy presents corporations with the challenge of creating sustainable business relationships by participating in the sustainable development of communities in which they operate. The World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Our Common Future, 1987)
We believe the ability of corporations to continue to provide goods/services in our interdependent world depends on their acceptability to the societies where they do business. Good corporate citizenship goes beyond the traditional functions of creating jobs and paying taxes, to include corporate practices designed to protect human rights, worker rights, land and the environment.
According to Dow Jones Sustainability Group, sustainability includes:
“Encouraging long lasting social well being in communities where they operate, interacting with different stakeholders (e.g. clients, suppliers, employees, government, local communities and non-governmental organizations) and responding to their specific and evolving needs thereby securing a long term ‘license to operate,’ superior customer and employee loyalty and ultimately superior financial returns.” (www.sustainability-index.com; March 2000)
Footwear and apparel companies accept their responsibility for working conditions and wages throughout their supply chain. The food service industry must accept its responsibility for sustainability throughout its supply chain, including the agricultural workers who pick the many products that are part of the food sold. Just as these workers through their labor, contribute to the sustainability of the company, so must YUM Brands accept its responsibility for the working conditions, wages and benefits of these workers. These workers then contribute to the sustainability of their home communities from which they come and where their families live.
Concerned investors evaluate companies on their financial, environmental and social performance — the triple bottom line. Some companies have published sustainability reports and are taking a long-term approach to creating shareholder value through embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments. We believe sustainability reporting should be included in our company’s annual report.
We believe corporate sustainability includes a commitment to pay a sustainable living wage to employees as a means to empowering sustainable economies. Workers need to have the purchasing power to meet their basic needs. We believe paying sustainable wages contributes to community development and employee loyalty to the company.
The sustainability of corporations, we believe, is connected to the economic sustainability of their workers and the communities where corporations operate and sell products. Effective corporate policies can benefit both communities and corporations.
Resolved: Shareholders request the Board of Directors to prepare at reasonable expense a sustainability report. A summary of the report should be provided to shareholders by October 2004.
Supporting Statement
We believe the report should include:1. Yum Brand’s operating definition of sustainability.2. A review of current Yum Brand policies and practices related to social, environmental and economic sustainability throughout the supply chain. 3. A summary of long-term plans to integrate sustainability objectives throughout company operations.
Price Restraint – Pfizer
Increasing Access to Pfizer Products
WHERAS: Access to pharmaceutical products is an essential component of adequate health care for all Americans;
In 2002 Pfizer stated: “over the past decade, after accounting for discounts to federal government buyers and Medicaid, Pfizer’s annual price increase in the United States have averaged less than the annual rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).” (Improving Access to Innovative Medicines, Pfizer Forum, 2002);
U.S. spending for prescription drugs was $140.6 billion in 2001, more than tripling since 1990. Such spending is projected to rise to $445.9 billion by 2012. (The Kaiser Family Foundation, Prescription Drug Trends, March 2003 and Health Affairs, Health Spending Projections for 2002-2012, 7 February 2003);
Price increases accounted for one-third of the increase in spending for prescription drugs in 2001 (Prescription Drug Expenditures 2001, National Institute of Health Care Management Research and Education Foundation, May 2002);
A report by Families USA, using data from the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Association Contract for the Elderly Program, found that on average, prices for the 50 most-prescribed drugs to the elderly rose nearly three-and-one-half times the rate of inflation from January 2002 to January 2003, compared to just under three times in the previous year. Pfizer products Lipitor, Norvasc, Celebrex, Xalatan, Zoloft and Glucotrol are among the top 50. (Out of Bounds, Families USA, 2003);
In 2002-03, the price increase of Lipitor (20mg) was 4.5 times the CPI; Celebrex 200 mg: 2.6 times the CPI, Norvasc 5 mg: twice the CPI, Xalatan: 3.3 times, the CPI: Zoloft 50 mmg: 2.8 times the CPI, Glucotrol XL 10 mg: 7.1 times the CPI (Out of Bounds);
These price increases are based on the average wholesale price, the price drug marketers suggest wholesalers charge pharmacies. People with no prescription drug coverage do not benefit from discounts negotiated by bulk purchasers of pharmaceuticals;
23% of Americans under 65 in 1996 and 38% of Medicare beneficiaries in 1999 had no prescription coverage. (Department of Health & Human Services, Report to the President, Prescription Drug Coverage, Spending, Utilization, and Prices, April 2000 and Health Affairs, Trends in Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage, 1996-1999, 27 February 2002).
Our company has instituted a prescription drug discount card, the Pfizer Share Card, which enrolls 355,000 low-income Medicare-eligible individuals with no prescription coverage. This is about 8.5 % of the 4.2 million eligible participants, and 2.8 % of the 12.9 million Medicare enrollees with no prescription coverage. (Pfizer, Report To America, June 2003 and Health Affairs, Trends in Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage, 1996-1999, 27 February 2002).
RESOLVED: Shareholders request the Board of Directors report by September 2004 on measures our company is taking to contain the price increases of its most-prescribed drugs to levels equal to or below the annual rate of inflation.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
We believe enacting this proposal will help to align our company with its previously stated commitment on prescription drug price increases.
Report on risks of operations in Burma and other repressive regimes – BJ Services
Report on Human Rights-Related Financial Risks
WHEREAS:
A growing number of companies such as Baker Hughes have divested their operations in Burma due to concerns about the repressive government of Burma’s ongoing human rights abuses;
Unocal and other companies face pending legal claims in U.S. courts for their alleged complicity in human rights abuses in Burma, including benefiting from the use of forced labor;
In the summer of 2003, Congress overwhelmingly passed and President George W. Bush signed into law new restrictions banning imports of goods produced in Burma to the U.S.;
Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote in a column in The Wall Street Journal, calling the ruling government of Burma “thugs” and wrote, “We also should further limit commerce with Burma that enriches the junta’s generals.”;
BJ Services Company provides pipeline service operations in Burma and maintains a district office in Rangoon, Burma; and
BJ Services Company also does business in other countries with controversial human rights records, including Angola, Cameroon, and Nigeria;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that shareholders request that the Board of Directors prepare a report to shareholders, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, evaluating financial risks posed by company operations in countries with a pattern of ongoing and systematic violation of human rights (including Burma) and the financial impact to the company of divesting from these countries.
Supporting StatementBurma (also called Myanmar) is ruled by a military government that seized power in 1988. The government voided 1990 elections, which were won by the National League for Democracy led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The government held Suu Kyi under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and again for 18 months in 2001 and 2002. A year after releasing her, the military government provoked international criticism in May 2003 by attacking and killing a number of Suu Kyi’s supporters and reimprisoning her.
In addition to the new U.S. trade sanctions, the European Union has imposed new trade sanctions and Japan is freezing the considerable foreign aid it grants to Burma. The new U.S. trade sanctions codify an existing U.S. policy to oppose World Bank loans or international technical assistance to Myanmar. In 1997, the U.S. banned U.S. companies from making new investment in Burma.
Given this context, we believe that B.J. Services’ operations in Burma face significant new financial risks and could damage our company’s reputation. A report outlining the company’s assessment of the financial risks of continued operations in Burma and other countries with systematic patterns of violating human rights would help shareholders better assess how human rights controversies may affect the company’s future growth and how the Board and management are managing risks associated with this issue.
Response to HIV, TB, and Marlaria Pandemics – Eli Lilly
REPORT RELATED TO GLOBAL HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
Whereas:
Investors have an interest in how our company balances long-term issues with shorter term performance;
One long-term factor relevant to our company is the public health crisis confronting emerging markets and its implications for the future sustainability of our company’s sector’s current business model;
There are more than 42 million people worldwide currently living with HIV/AIDS, over 95% of whom live in the developing world;
According to UNAIDS, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is “creating or aggravating poverty among millions of people, eroding human capital, weakening government institutions and threatening business activities and investment”;
TUBERCULOSIS, one of the world’s leading infectious causes of death, takes 2 million lives a year and is a leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS;
Virtually no new research is being conducted to develop new treatments for TB, a disease which Doctors Without Borders calls “a political and social problem that could have incalculable consequences for generations to come.”
In a report for the UN Conference on Financing for Development, UNAIDS states: “Increasing illness and death of large numbers of productive members of society will reduce overall production and consumption.”
The highly touted agreement at the World Trade Organization related to easing access to essential medicines in developing countries has several riders. They place new regulatory burdens and additional uncertainty on countries and companies importing and exporting generic essential medicines.
In an analysis of how the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies are managing the investment risks arising from the issues surrounding the acute health problems of developing countries, our company’s rating was only 30%, while the highest rating was over 80%. Core Ratings found that “the extent of our company’s clinical trials programmes in developing countries means the company faces potential risks if it does not have policies to address the social challenges of operating in a developing country environment.” While our company “has a general policy on access [to essential medicines] this does not specificaly address differential pricing or patent flexiblity on set targets.” (Philanthropy of Good Business? Emerging Market Issues for the Global Pharmaceutical Industry, Core Ratings, May 2003).
The World Bank reports that in southern Africa and other affected regions “a complete economic collapse will occur” unless there is a response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Even “a delay in responding to the outbreak of the epidemic, however, can lead to collapse.” (The Long-run Economic Costs of AIDS, June 2003, The World Bank).
RESOLVED: Shareholders request that our Board review the economic effects of the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria pandemics on the company’s business strategy, and its initiatives to date, and report to shareholders within six months following the 2004 annual meeting. The report, developed at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, will identify the impacts of these pandemics on the company.
Implement Standards of Response to the Health Panademic of HIV-AIDS-TB-Malaria – Pfizer
PFIZERWHEREAS:
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, major public health challenges undermining development in the poorest countries, accounted for approximately 10% of all deaths worldwide in 2001;
Providing access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries is a main strategy for achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals;
Twenty-five million people have died from AIDS since the early 1980’s; 40 million people are currently infected with the HIV virus;
The World Health Organization estimates that, in developing countries, only 230,000 people of the 6 million who are sick enough to need antiretroviral medicines are receiving them;
Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected region in the world; only 10,000 of the 25 million Africans with HIV/AIDS are taking antiretroviral drugs;
Without drastically expanded prevention and treatment efforts, 68 million people will die of AIDS in the 45 most affected countries between 2000 and 2020;
TUBERCULOSIS, one of the world’s leading infectious causes of death, takes 2 million lives a year and is a leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS;
MALARIA causes more than 300 million acute illnesses; approximately one million deaths occur annually, 90% in Sub-Saharan Africa;
Despite donation programs, promises of differential prices, international accords and public-private initiatives, poorest nations continue to suffer from lack of access to medicines;
The UNAIDS Director has stated that far greater action is needed by both government and private sector to ensure that treatment reaches those in greatest need;
Effective prevention, care and treatment strategies will require increased availability of and non-discriminatory access to vaccines, sterile injecting equipment, drugs, including antiretroviral therapy, diagnostics and related technologies, as well as increased research and development;
Pharmaceutical companies have the unique mission to provide health-giving medicines, a pivotal role in addressing health pandemics;
Our company is in advanced clinical trials with Capravirine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Pfizer also produces Camoquine and Vibramycin monahydrate for treatment of Malaria, and Fluconazole and Zithromax for treatment of opportunistic infectious diseases associated with HIV/AIDS;
Immunity from liability for generic manufacturers of pharmaceuticals needed in developing countries, and support for the Global Aids Fund are ways that our company can respond;
BE IT RESOLVED:
Shareholders request the Board of Directors to establish and implement standards of response to the health pandemic of HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria in developing countries, particularly Africa. A report of such standards and their implementation would be made available to shareholders by October 2003 (omitting proprietary information and at reasonable cost).
SUPPORTING STATEMENT:
International non-governmental organizations have challenged the pharmaceutical industry to greater responses to the health crisis in developing countries. We believe that concrete action on the part of pharmaceutical companies is an important part of the world’s response to this global tragedy. Not to respond would be a tragedy for infected peoples and for the good name and reputation of our company.
Please vote your proxy FOR these concerns.
Develop and Adopt a Human Rights Policy – ChevronTexaco Corporation
ChevronTexacoWHEREAS, we believe that transnational corporations operating in countries with repressive governments, ethnic conflict, weak rule of law, endemic corruption, or poor labor and environmental standards face serious risks to their reputation and share value if they are seen to be responsible for, or complicit in, human rights violations; and,
WHEREAS, our company operates in several countries where allegations of serious human rights violations have been made including: Angola, Cameroon, Chad, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Nigeria; and,
WHEREAS, our company is being sued for alleged rights violations in Nigeria and Ecuador, which could negatively affect our company’s performance and shareholder value; and,
WHEREAS, we believe our company does not possess a comprehensive human rights policy that would enable it to effectively manage and avoid these risks; and,
WHEREAS, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is recognized as the basic international standard for human rights; and,
WHEREAS, several of our company’s major competitors have already adopted a comprehensive human rights policy based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and,
WHEREAS, we believe that significant commercial advantages may accrue to our company by adopting a comprehensive human rights policy including: enhanced corporate reputation, improved employee recruitment and retention, improved community and stakeholder relations, and reduced risk of adverse publicity, consumer boycotts, divestment campaigns, and lawsuits;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the shareholders request the Board of Directors of ChevronTexaco Corporation develop and adopt a comprehensive and verifiable human rights policy which shall include an explicit commitment to support and uphold the principles and values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the shareholders request the Board of Directors adopt such a policy at the earliest possible time and that they report on the progress made in this regard no later than November 1, 2003.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
In addition to basing our company’s human rights policy on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we believe that any adequate company human rights policy should also include consideration of the following:
1. Workplace standards based upon International Labor Organization core conventions.
2. A policy on the use of security personnel, both private security and security forces provided by the government of a host country, that is based upon and consistent with internationally accepted human rights norms.
3. A policy requiring a human rights and social impact assessment be conducted prior to our company’s decision to invest in countries that are experiencing civil conflict or which have poor human rights records, as evidenced by credible reports by independent human rights organizations or by the U.S. Department of State annual country reports on human rights.
4. A plan for implementing these commitments and policies throughout our company’s global operations that provides for a secure and independent complaint mechanism, provisions for consultation with local affected communities, provisions for social auditing by credible independent agencies, and provisions for annual public reporting..
Implement a code of conduct for tomato suppliers that addresses worker rights – Tricon Restaurants
TRICON RESTAURANTS
WHEREAS:
For the past decade, corporations that market and sell apparel and footwear have been the focus of consumer and shareholder pressure to ensure that their products are not made in sweatshops.
In his widely acclaimed book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser warns: The same tactics employed by the antisweatshop groups can be used to help workers much closer to home. Schlosser advocates the use of consumer pressure to force fast food restaurants, such as Tricon, to require that their suppliers respect labor rights.
Tricon subsidiary Taco Bell is one of the major buyers of fresh tomatoes in America.
Taco Bell is the focus of a campaign by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in support of the farm-workers who pick the tomatoes used by our company. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has helped organize well over 100 demonstrations at Taco Bell restaurants from Florida to California. This campaign has also attracted considerable national and international media coverage that stands to tarnish Tricon s brands and good reputation.
In general, farm-workers receive no overtime pay, health insurance, sick leave, paid holidays or vacation, or pension. Moreover, farm-workers are exempt from the U.S. federal laws that protect the rights of virtually all other American workers to organize or join unions and engage in collective bargaining.
Apparel and footwear companies have demonstrated that setting workplace standards for their suppliers protects and enhances the value of their brands and image.
RESOLVED:
That the Board issue a report, prepared at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, to shareholders by October 2002, outlining the steps that Tricon will take to draft and implement a code of conduct for the company s tomato suppliers that addresses basic standards of worker rights.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
As a matter of both good corporate citizenship and good business practice, we believe that Tricon has the responsibility to enter into a dialogue with both its tomato suppliers and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to draft a code of conduct that addresses basic standards of worker rights for those who pick Tricon s tomatoes.
As shareholders, we are gravely concerned over the growing boycott of Taco Bell by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. We are particularly concerned that Taco Bell s target market of young people aged 18-24 is also the same age range as those most likely to protest or boycott a company over its suppliers workplace practices.
We fear that failure to address this issue puts at risk not only Tricon s brands and good reputation but also our company s future sales and profitability.
Tricon has already demonstrated its power to require that its suppliers meet standards for the humane treatment of farm animals. As shareholders, we believe that it is in the long-term interest of Tricon to ensure also that its suppliers treat their farm-workers with fairness and respect.
Implement policy to provide affordable drugs for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa – Johnson & Johnson
WHEREAS:
The HIV/AIDS epidemic constitutes a global emergency – one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights;
By the end of the year 2000, 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, 90% in developing countries and 75% in Sub-Sahara Africa;
All are affected by this epidemic, but people in developing countries are the most affected, and young women, young adults and children, particularly girls, are them most vulnerable;
African Heads of Governments have pledged to target at least 15% of their annual national budgets to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Actions to reach this target will need to be complemented by international assistance;
Tuberculosis is now the world’s leading infectious killer, taking 2 million lives a year, and is a frequent complication of AIDS. Malaria causes 1.1 million deaths annually. Both diseases are growing more difficult to treat because of the spread of drug-resistant strains;
Access to medication in the context of such pandemics is a fundamental element of achieving physical and mental health;
Effective prevention, care and treatment strategies will require increased availability of, and non-discriminatory access to vaccines, sterile injecting equipment, drugs, including anti-retroviral therapy, diagnostics and related technologies, as well as increased research and development;
Availability and affordability of drugs and related technology are factors to be reviewed and addressed. There is need to reduce the cost of these drugs and technologies;
Some countries within the most seriously affected regions have begun to promote innovation and the development of domestic industries in order to increase access to medicines to protect people’s health;
The impact of international trade agreements on access to or local manufacturing of essential drugs and on the development of new drugs needs to be evaluated;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
Shareholders request the Board of Directors to develop and implement a policy to provide pharmaceuticals for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in ways that the majority of infected persons in African nations can afford. A report of the development and implementation of such a policy (omitting proprietary information and at reasonable cost) would be sent to shareholders six months after the 2002 annual meeting.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Pharmaceutical companies have the unique mission to provide health-giving medicines, often making the difference between life and death. This is the time for pharmaceutical companies to offer the kind of leadership necessary to address diseases that afflict so many people throughout the world, especially in African countries. “Making life-saving medicines more affordable for poor countries is vital for improving public heath. More importantly, it is realistic.” (Press Release, WHO/WTO Workshop – Pricing/Financing of Essential Drugs, April 11, 2001)
One way to make needed drugs accessible and affordable is to grant voluntary licenses to African countries that request them. This would enable the production of generic drugs for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Improved access to effective and affordable medicines is essential for the people’s health in these nations.
Implement a policy to provide affordable drugs to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria victims in Africa – Merck
WHEREAS:
The HIV/Aids epidemic constitutes a global emergency – one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity as well as to the effective enjoyment of human rights;
By the end of the year 2000, 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, 90% in developing countries and 75 % in sub-Sahara Africa;
All are affected by this epidemic, but people in developing countries are the most affected, and women, young adults and children, particularly girls, are the most vulnerable;
African Heads of Governments have pledged to target at least 15% of their annual national budgets to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Actions to reach this target will need to be complemented by international assistance;
Tuberculosis is now the world’s leading infectious killer, taking 2 million lives a year, and is a frequent complication of AIDS. Malaria causes 1.1 million deaths annually. Both diseases are growing more difficult to treat because of the spread of drug-resistant strains;
Access to medication in the context of such pandemics is a fundamental element of achieving physical and mental health;
Effective prevention, care and treatment strategies will require increased availability of, and non-discriminatory access to, vaccines, sterile injecting equipment, drugs, including anti-retroviral therapy, diagnostics and related technologies, as well as increased research and development;
Availability and affordability of drugs and related technology are factors to be reviewed and addressed. There is need to reduce the cost of these drugs and technologies;
Some countries within the most seriously affected regions have begun to promote innovation and the development of domestic industries in order to increase access to medicines to protect the people’s health;
The impact of international trade agreements on access to or local manufacturing of, essential drugs and on the development of new drugs needs to be evaluated;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
Shareholders request the Board of Directors to develop and implement a policy to provide pharmaceuticals for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in ways that the majority of infected persons in African nations can afford.
A report of the development and implementation of such a policy (omitting proprietary information and at reasonable cost) would be sent to shareholders six months after the 2002 annual meeting.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT:
Pharmaceutical companies have the unique mission to provide health-giving medicines, often making the difference between life and death. This is the time for pharmaceutical companies to offer the kind of leadership necessary to address diseases that afflict so many people throughout the world, especially in African countries. “Making life-saving medicines more affordable for poor countries is vital for improving public health. More importantly, it is realistic.” (Press Release, WHO/WTO Workshop – Pricing/Financing of Essential Drugs, April 11, 2001)
One way to make needed drugs accessible and affordable is to grant voluntary licenses to African countries which request them. This would enable the production of generic drugs for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Improved access to effective and affordable medicines is essential for the people’s health in these nations.
Adopt a Human Rights Policy to Uphold the Principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – ExxonMobil
WHEREAS, we believe that transnational corporations operating in countries with repressive governments, ethnic conflict, weak rule of law, endemic corruption, or poor labor and environmental standards face serious risks to their reputation and share value if they are seen to be responsible for, or complicit in, human rights violations; and,
WHEREAS, Our company (ExxonMobil Corporation) operates in several countries where allegations of serious human rights violations have been made including: Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Indonesia, and Nigeria; and,
WHEREAS, our company does not possess a comprehensive human rights policy that would enable it to effectively manage and avoid these risks; and,
WHEREAS, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is recognized as the basic international standard for human rights; and,
WHEREAS, several of our company’s major competitors have already adopted a comprehensive human rights policy based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and,
WHEREAS, we believe that significant commercial advantages may accrue to our company by adopting a comprehensive human rights policy including: enhanced corporate reputation, improved employee recruitment and retention, improved community and stakeholder relations, and reduced risk of adverse publicity, consumer boycotts, divestment campaigns, and law suits;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the shareholders request the Board of Directors of ExxonMobil Corporation develop and adopt a comprehensive and verifiable human rights policy which shall include an explicit commitment to support and uphold the principles and values contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the shareholders request the Board of Directors adopt such a policy at the earliest possible time and that they report on the progress made in this regard no later than November 1, 2002.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT: In addition to basing our company’s human rights policy on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we believe that any adequate company human rights policy should also include consideration of the following:
1. Workplace standards based upon the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO Conventions No. 29, 87, 98, 100, 105, 111, 138, and 182).
2. A policy on the use of security personnel, both private security and security forces provided by the government of a host country, that is based upon and consistent with internationally accepted human rights norms, such as the U.N. Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.
3. A policy requiring a human rights and social impact assessment be conducted prior to our company’s decision to invest in countries that are experiencing civil conflict or which have poor human rights records, as evidenced by credible reports by independent human rights organizations or by the annual country reports on human rights prepared by the U.S. Department of State.
4. A plan for implementing these commitments and policies throughout our company’s global operations that provides for a secure and independent complaint mechanism, provisions for consultation with local affected communities, provisions for social auditing by credible independent agencies, and provisions for annual public reporting.
